Back to Life as We Know It

I think we are all enjoying being back in a routine. The boys both had fun at school on Tuesday. And I was not the only mommy walking the halls with a smile on her face. I saw several that looked like they were going to break out in the happy dance at any moment. Jack started a new session of gymnastics on Tuesday. There are 3 boys and 2 girls in his class, and dare I say it....Jack is the best one in the group! Seriously! And I am not saying that through a mother's rose-colored glasses because I have spent years watching him lag behind his peers in physical endeavors. I think everyone is aware of Jack's hypotonia and how hard he has worked for years in PT, OT and gymnastics to improve his gross and fine motor skills. I am most proud of his persistence and effort (without complaining for the most part), which are character traits that will serve him well in life. And Jack recognizes that he is one of the better ones in his class, which I think is really good for his self confidence. He will never be an athlete so it is nice to have one hour a week where he can be a star.

Wednesday, I went back to the gym after a week off. I did the weightlifting class. I can barely lift my arms above my head! Discovered a new drink at Starbucks...the Espresso Truffle. It was recommended to me by Blythe, my sister-in-law and future Starbucks rehab roomie. Yuuuum! You can't go wrong with this one! Go ahead and treat yourself...you deserve it! Wednesday was rainy, cold and dreary so I had a taste for chili for dinner. This was a risky choice because Jack doesn't like chili and I was very doubtful that Will would eat it, so it looked like only Brent and I would go to bed with full bellies. Jack walks into the kitchen and says, "What smells so good?" Do my ears deceive me? I nonchalantly answered, "Dinner...we are having some yummy chili." And then he says, "Oh! Well, now that I am 5 1/2, I like chili!" Okaaaay, who are you and what have you done with my child?!?! But who am I to argue? 3 full bellies tonight. The boys and I sit down to dinner and I watch Will take a bite of the chili and spit it back out. I ignore that. Jack is shoveling his dinner in while saying things like, "Yum! This is so good! I love this chili!" Of course not to be outdone by his older brother, Will takes a second bite, eats his chili, and asks for seconds! Gotta love peer pressure!

Today while the boys were in school, I went to The Container Store for some more of their men's shoe boxes. These are the best boxes for storing toys in the playroom...they hold alot of toys, they are clear so it is easy to identify what is inside, the lids are easy enough for Jack to open and close and they stack neatly inside the toy cabinet. Well, now that I have this organizational 'wild hair', The Container Store is going to be a very dangerous place. I walked up and down the aisles with new eyes. Oh the possibilities! I had to refrain from going hog wild in the kitchen section; there are so many neat little things that I am going to 'need' once I start organizing the kitchen cabinets and pantry. But let me tell you...organization is not cheap...pricey, pricey, pricey. Little Miss Penny Pincher is going to have to wait for a Container Store SALE!

If you have the time and inclination, please let me in on your best organizational tips. Just click on the COMMENTS link at the end of this post and share some of your tried and true methods. We all need to learn from each other!